Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow It Stops PainWhen PrescribedHow to TakeBefore Taking
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How It Stops Pain
When Prescribed
How to Take
Before Taking
Prednisone is a corticosteroid medication used to decrease inflammation. Though not a pain medication, it can help to relieve pain. It is commonly prescribed to treatrheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, lupus, chronic lower back pain, and knee osteoarthritis.
Side effects of prednisone include mood changes, insomnia, acne, and weight gain. Prednisone should be taken with food to avoid an upset stomach. The medication is commonly prescribed in a higher starting dose that is slowly tapered down.
This article discusses prednisone for pain. It explains how prednisone works to relieve different types of pain and inflammation and what you need to know before taking prednisone.
Tassii / Getty images
How Prednisone Stops Pain
Sometimes, the immune system misfires and attacks healthy tissue. This causes the pain and inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases like RA and lupus. Prednisone works to address this in a few ways.
Stops Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Promotes Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines
Prednisone activates the production of some anti-inflammatory cytokines and affects the actions of certainlymphocytes(white blood cells) called T-cells, which play a central role in the body’s immune response.
Manages Edema Response
All of this works to quickly relieve the inflammation, pain, redness, and warmth experienced during an exacerbation of your symptoms.
When Is Prednisone Prescribed for Pain?
Prednisone is used to treat both acute and chronic pain. It is available as an injection, topical treatment, and oral medication. Prednisone prescribed for short-term pain relief of:
Prednisone shots can be delivered into a muscle or joint (intra-articular) and used to relieve arthritis.
Prednisone for Autoimmune Flare-Ups
RA primarily causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. It is often a disease of ups and downs, with periods when symptoms become worse, known asflare-upsor flares. These can be unpredictable and debilitating.
Prednisone is prescribed as short-term pain relief during these periods of exacerbation and as a “bridge therapy” to provide relief while waiting fordisease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)to kick in.DMARDs are the recommended first-line treatment for RA, but they are slow to work; you may not notice benefits for six to eight months after starting them.
Signs that you are experiencing a flare-up include a worsening of the following symptoms:
In RA, these symptoms are commonly most severe in the early morning.
Can Exercise Ease an Autoimmune Flare?
The Centers for Disease Control recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, though make sure you choose activities that protect your joints, such as walking, bicycling, and swimming. For people who have excess weight, losing just 10 or 12 pounds can improve pain and function.
How to Take Prednisone for Pain
Autoimmune conditions, such as RA, PA, and lupus, are generally started with a dose of 10 milligrams (mg) to 20 mg per day and then maintained at levels of 5 mg/day or more.In severe cases, higher doses may be needed. The maximum dose of prednisone for autoimmune-related pain is 80 mg a day.
Goutis treated with a starting dose of 30 mg to 40 mg a day until symptoms improve, then gradually tapered down. Treatment usually begins to work within two to five days and can be tapered over seven to 21 days to prevent a recurrence.
The length of your treatment course will be made on an individual basis, but short-term pain therapy is normally around one to three weeks.
When you take your dose and how often you take it will depend on your condition and how you respond to treatment.Prednisone is often taken in the morning to mimic your body’s increase in steroid production, which occurs early in the day.
It is important to know that if you have been taking prednisone for a while, you should not discontinue treatment suddenly, as it can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. This is because if you suddenly stop taking prednisone, this may leave your body with not enough natural steroids to function normally.
Your healthcare provider will outline for you if and how the drug needs to betapered downto avoid problems with withdrawal.
Drug Interactions and Diet
Prednisone is known to have numerous drug interactions, so tell your healthcare provider what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking or plan to take.
Before You Take Prednisone for Pain
Oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, impact your entire body, and side effects, ranging from mild to severe, are not uncommon.
There are certain health conditions that pose more of a risk when taking prednisone. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following:
For people who are pregnant or may become pregnant, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about the potential risks taking prednisone may pose. Takingprednisone during pregnancyhas been linked tooral clefts, preterm birth, and low birth weight in infants, as well aspreeclampsiaand gestational diabetes in the person who is pregnant.
As well as decreasing your ability to fight infections, prednisone may also prevent you from developing symptoms that indicate you are getting an infection. It is recommended to take precautions such as staying away from people who are sick and washing your hands often while taking this drug.
Due to its impact on the immune system, you should not have anyvaccinationswithout talking to your healthcare provider.
Prednisone and ChildrenSpecial consideration is needed when prednisone is given to children. Corticosteroids can lead to numerous side effects which may slow growth and development in children, including nutritional consequences and decreased new bone formation.Talk to your healthcare provider about these risks and any worries you might have about your child taking prednisone.
Prednisone and Children
Special consideration is needed when prednisone is given to children. Corticosteroids can lead to numerous side effects which may slow growth and development in children, including nutritional consequences and decreased new bone formation.Talk to your healthcare provider about these risks and any worries you might have about your child taking prednisone.
Side Effects
Some of the most frequently discussedside effectsof corticosteroids, such as prednisone, include:
Side effects occur more frequently with long-term use or at higher doses. However, there are risks associated even with short-term use.
Adults taking oral corticosteroids over a period of 30 days or less have been found to be at increased risk ofsepsisand bone fractures.
If you are worried about side effects or they are bothering you, talk to your healthcare provider.
Serious Side Effects
You should contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience serious side effects such as:
In rare cases, long-term use of high doses of corticosteroids can cause permanent bone damage called osteonecrosis or aseptic necrosis of the bone.
Most side effects will go away after you stop your treatment. However, some side effects—like glaucoma, cataracts, osteoporosis, and osteonecrosis (bone death)—may bepermanent.
Easing Prednisone Side Effects
Beyond these steps regarding medication and symptoms, talking to those you are close to about side effects, including those that might affect them, such as mood swings or insomnia, can help them better understand and support you.
A Word From Verywell
In most cases, you will be taking prednisone to get your condition under control, and the goal will be to stop taking the drug as soon as possible.
You should discuss with your healthcare provider not just how the drug can manage the pain of your condition but also how taking it may cause other types of pain through side effects or withdrawal. Remember, do not stop taking prednisone suddenly; your healthcare provider will discuss how it needs to be tapered off.
Dealing with pain due to a chronic inflammatory disease can be challenging, and it can be difficult to find the right way to cope with it. You do not need to do that alone; your healthcare provider will help you develop a long-term pain management treatment.
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li P, Zheng Y, Chen X.Drugs for autoimmune inflammatory diseases: From small molecule compounds to anti-TNF biologics.Front Pharmacol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00460Vyvey M.Steroids as pain relief adjuvants.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(12):1295-e415.Nurkovic J, Jovasevic L, Konicanin A, et al.Treatment of trochanteric bursitis: our experience.J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(7):2078–81. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2078Ko S, Kim S, Kim J, Oh T.The effectiveness of oral corticosteroids for management of lumbar radiating pain: randomized, controlled trial study.Clin Orthop Surg. 2016;8(3):262–7. doi:10.4055/cios.2016.8.3.262Obermann M, Nägel S, Ose C, et al.Safety and efficacy of prednisone versus placebo in short-term prevention of episodic cluster headache: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.Lancet Neurol. 2021;20(1):29-37. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30363-XUpToDate.Prednisone: Drug information.Arthritis Foundation.Corticosteroids.Kroon FPB, Kortekaas MC, Boonen A, et al.Results of a 6-week treatment with 10 mg prednisolone in patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOPE): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.Lancet. 2019;394(10213):1993-2001. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32489-4Cheng X, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X.Oral administration of prednisone effectively reduces subacute pain after total knee arthroplasty.Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2021;107(3):102770. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2020.102770Blomgran P, Hammerman M, Aspenberg P.Systemic corticosteroids improve tendon healing when given after the early inflammatory phase.Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):12468. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12657-0Pincus T, Swearingen CJ, Luta G, et al.Efficacy of prednisone 1–4 mg/day in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled withdrawal clinical trial.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases2009;68:1715-1720.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid Arthritis.Sierakowski S, Cutolo M.Morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a defining characteristic and marker of active disease.Scand J Rheumatol. 2011;40(sup125):1-5. doi:10.3109/03009742.2011.566433Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Self-care for arthritis: Five ways to manage your symptoms.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.Bandoli G, Palmsten K, Forbess Smith CJ, Chambers CD.A review of systemic corticosteroid use in pregnancy and the risk of select pregnancy and birth outcomes.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2017;43(3):489-502. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.013Moeeni V, Day AS.Impact of inflammatory bowel disease upon growth in children and adolescents.ISRN Pediatr. 2011;2011:365712. doi:10.5402/2011/365712Waljee A, Rogers M, Lin P et al.Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population based cohort study.BMJ. 2017:j1415. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1415Liu D, Ahmet A, Ward L, et al.A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2013;9(1):30. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-9-30
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li P, Zheng Y, Chen X.Drugs for autoimmune inflammatory diseases: From small molecule compounds to anti-TNF biologics.Front Pharmacol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00460Vyvey M.Steroids as pain relief adjuvants.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(12):1295-e415.Nurkovic J, Jovasevic L, Konicanin A, et al.Treatment of trochanteric bursitis: our experience.J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(7):2078–81. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2078Ko S, Kim S, Kim J, Oh T.The effectiveness of oral corticosteroids for management of lumbar radiating pain: randomized, controlled trial study.Clin Orthop Surg. 2016;8(3):262–7. doi:10.4055/cios.2016.8.3.262Obermann M, Nägel S, Ose C, et al.Safety and efficacy of prednisone versus placebo in short-term prevention of episodic cluster headache: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.Lancet Neurol. 2021;20(1):29-37. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30363-XUpToDate.Prednisone: Drug information.Arthritis Foundation.Corticosteroids.Kroon FPB, Kortekaas MC, Boonen A, et al.Results of a 6-week treatment with 10 mg prednisolone in patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOPE): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.Lancet. 2019;394(10213):1993-2001. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32489-4Cheng X, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X.Oral administration of prednisone effectively reduces subacute pain after total knee arthroplasty.Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2021;107(3):102770. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2020.102770Blomgran P, Hammerman M, Aspenberg P.Systemic corticosteroids improve tendon healing when given after the early inflammatory phase.Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):12468. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12657-0Pincus T, Swearingen CJ, Luta G, et al.Efficacy of prednisone 1–4 mg/day in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled withdrawal clinical trial.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases2009;68:1715-1720.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid Arthritis.Sierakowski S, Cutolo M.Morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a defining characteristic and marker of active disease.Scand J Rheumatol. 2011;40(sup125):1-5. doi:10.3109/03009742.2011.566433Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Self-care for arthritis: Five ways to manage your symptoms.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.Bandoli G, Palmsten K, Forbess Smith CJ, Chambers CD.A review of systemic corticosteroid use in pregnancy and the risk of select pregnancy and birth outcomes.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2017;43(3):489-502. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.013Moeeni V, Day AS.Impact of inflammatory bowel disease upon growth in children and adolescents.ISRN Pediatr. 2011;2011:365712. doi:10.5402/2011/365712Waljee A, Rogers M, Lin P et al.Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population based cohort study.BMJ. 2017:j1415. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1415Liu D, Ahmet A, Ward L, et al.A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2013;9(1):30. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-9-30
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Li P, Zheng Y, Chen X.Drugs for autoimmune inflammatory diseases: From small molecule compounds to anti-TNF biologics.Front Pharmacol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00460Vyvey M.Steroids as pain relief adjuvants.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(12):1295-e415.Nurkovic J, Jovasevic L, Konicanin A, et al.Treatment of trochanteric bursitis: our experience.J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(7):2078–81. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2078Ko S, Kim S, Kim J, Oh T.The effectiveness of oral corticosteroids for management of lumbar radiating pain: randomized, controlled trial study.Clin Orthop Surg. 2016;8(3):262–7. doi:10.4055/cios.2016.8.3.262Obermann M, Nägel S, Ose C, et al.Safety and efficacy of prednisone versus placebo in short-term prevention of episodic cluster headache: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.Lancet Neurol. 2021;20(1):29-37. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30363-XUpToDate.Prednisone: Drug information.Arthritis Foundation.Corticosteroids.Kroon FPB, Kortekaas MC, Boonen A, et al.Results of a 6-week treatment with 10 mg prednisolone in patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOPE): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.Lancet. 2019;394(10213):1993-2001. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32489-4Cheng X, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X.Oral administration of prednisone effectively reduces subacute pain after total knee arthroplasty.Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2021;107(3):102770. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2020.102770Blomgran P, Hammerman M, Aspenberg P.Systemic corticosteroids improve tendon healing when given after the early inflammatory phase.Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):12468. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12657-0Pincus T, Swearingen CJ, Luta G, et al.Efficacy of prednisone 1–4 mg/day in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled withdrawal clinical trial.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases2009;68:1715-1720.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid Arthritis.Sierakowski S, Cutolo M.Morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a defining characteristic and marker of active disease.Scand J Rheumatol. 2011;40(sup125):1-5. doi:10.3109/03009742.2011.566433Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Self-care for arthritis: Five ways to manage your symptoms.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.Bandoli G, Palmsten K, Forbess Smith CJ, Chambers CD.A review of systemic corticosteroid use in pregnancy and the risk of select pregnancy and birth outcomes.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2017;43(3):489-502. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.013Moeeni V, Day AS.Impact of inflammatory bowel disease upon growth in children and adolescents.ISRN Pediatr. 2011;2011:365712. doi:10.5402/2011/365712Waljee A, Rogers M, Lin P et al.Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population based cohort study.BMJ. 2017:j1415. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1415Liu D, Ahmet A, Ward L, et al.A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2013;9(1):30. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-9-30
Li P, Zheng Y, Chen X.Drugs for autoimmune inflammatory diseases: From small molecule compounds to anti-TNF biologics.Front Pharmacol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00460
Vyvey M.Steroids as pain relief adjuvants.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(12):1295-e415.
Nurkovic J, Jovasevic L, Konicanin A, et al.Treatment of trochanteric bursitis: our experience.J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(7):2078–81. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2078
Ko S, Kim S, Kim J, Oh T.The effectiveness of oral corticosteroids for management of lumbar radiating pain: randomized, controlled trial study.Clin Orthop Surg. 2016;8(3):262–7. doi:10.4055/cios.2016.8.3.262
Obermann M, Nägel S, Ose C, et al.Safety and efficacy of prednisone versus placebo in short-term prevention of episodic cluster headache: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.Lancet Neurol. 2021;20(1):29-37. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30363-X
UpToDate.Prednisone: Drug information.
Arthritis Foundation.Corticosteroids.
Kroon FPB, Kortekaas MC, Boonen A, et al.Results of a 6-week treatment with 10 mg prednisolone in patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOPE): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.Lancet. 2019;394(10213):1993-2001. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32489-4
Cheng X, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X.Oral administration of prednisone effectively reduces subacute pain after total knee arthroplasty.Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2021;107(3):102770. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2020.102770
Blomgran P, Hammerman M, Aspenberg P.Systemic corticosteroids improve tendon healing when given after the early inflammatory phase.Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):12468. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12657-0
Pincus T, Swearingen CJ, Luta G, et al.Efficacy of prednisone 1–4 mg/day in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled withdrawal clinical trial.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases2009;68:1715-1720.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Sierakowski S, Cutolo M.Morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a defining characteristic and marker of active disease.Scand J Rheumatol. 2011;40(sup125):1-5. doi:10.3109/03009742.2011.566433
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Self-care for arthritis: Five ways to manage your symptoms.
MedlinePlus.Prednisone.
Bandoli G, Palmsten K, Forbess Smith CJ, Chambers CD.A review of systemic corticosteroid use in pregnancy and the risk of select pregnancy and birth outcomes.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2017;43(3):489-502. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.013
Moeeni V, Day AS.Impact of inflammatory bowel disease upon growth in children and adolescents.ISRN Pediatr. 2011;2011:365712. doi:10.5402/2011/365712
Waljee A, Rogers M, Lin P et al.Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population based cohort study.BMJ. 2017:j1415. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1415
Liu D, Ahmet A, Ward L, et al.A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2013;9(1):30. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-9-30
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
